Dry shaver



April 17, 1951 E. GAGNAN 2,549,591

DRY SHAVER Filed Feb. 2, 1948 5 ."'IIIIIIIIIIIJIJ Patented Apr. 17,1951

ottici-3v DRY SHAVER Emile Gagnan, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,800 In France February 4, 1947 The present invention relates to shaving devices and, more particularly, such a device of the so-called dry shaver type adapted to be actuated solely by its displacement over the skin to be shaved.

In the known types of dry shavers the hair cutting device consists of a thin, apertured, grid behind which a cutting element is oscillated or rotated to shear the hair. For proper operation, however, the contact between the grid and cutting element must be perfect, whereby the construction of the parts must be eifectuated within narrow limits of precision and the size thereof limited as much as possible. Consequently, such Shavers are generally satisfactory insofar as the cutting element is rapidly actuated by electrical and the like means.

The present invention has vbeen conceived to avoid the disadvantages noted above and, accordingly, its design is such that no particular precision in the constituent parts is required, that the surface of the grid can be such as to enable contacting a large area'of the skin, and that a simple manual movement is all that is essential for good results although, naturally, mechanical operation is not thereby excluded.

Characteristics of such a grid are:

l. It has no intrinsic rigidity, being a simple normally plane perforated plate of flexible and thin metal; Y

2. inherently, it opposes no resistance to skin pressure.

From the foregoing, therefore, the objects of the invention may be stated as follows:

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a motorless, eoient dry-shaver of improved construction.

Another object is the provision of such a shaver which has a long useful life. A `further object contemplates a dry shaver which can be taken apart easily and rapidly for cleaning and whetting.

Still another object concerns a dry shaver of the character described which is easily operated with a minimum of effort.

A still further object envisages a dry shaver of simple, rugged construction and relatively inexpensive. I

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent, or be further pointed out, during the description to follow.

As examples, and for purposes of illustration only, three forms of the invention are shown in the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a user oper ating a shaver according to the invention;

6 claims'. (orso-4s) Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shaver in operative position;

Figure 3 is another perspective View of the constitutive elements of the shaver in disassembled position;

. Figure 41s a longitudinal vertical section taken centrally through the assembled shaver,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken centrally through the shaver,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a slightly modified form of the invention,

Figure 7 is yet a longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 4 but of still another modificati-on, and

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken at right angles to that of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar ref, erence characters represent corresponding parts throughout, the reference letter S indicates gener-ally in Figs. 1 and 2, the completely assembled shaver of the invention, especially the preferred form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. Aocording to all forms, however, a casing is provided with an aperture closed by a grid and a carriage movable inside the casing, and oper* ated by a slider disposed outside the casing, said carriage carrying a plurality of cutting blades reciprocated against the inside face of the grid.

Consequently, in the original form of the invention depicted in Figs. 7-8, the casing II) of quadrangular formation has an aperture II formed in the bottom or oor thereof and outwardly directed flanges I2 at the upper edge of its lateral walls (see Fig. 8).

A thin, flexible and perforated plate I3 closes the aperture I I, by resting on the edges I4 thereof, and constitutes the grid already mentioned. It must be noted that this grid has its edges free so as to bear against cutting blades to be described presently, said grid resting on the innerv flanges constituted by the edges defining the aperture of the casing.

Said blades I5 are secured to the carriage block I6, vagainst inclined milled faces thereof, so that said blades contact the grid at the proper angle best calculated for good results. The securing means for the blades may be the rivets I'I, or the like.

The carriage is constituted by a pair of cover thus, the covers I8-I9 form together a sliding vpression 3`2-onone'end wall thereof.

carriage to which the block I6 is secured, as by the screws 2|. Consequently, relative movement, between the casing and carriage, will reciprocate the blades over the grid and cause the shearing of hair protruding through the openings of the grid: the proper operating position is illustrated in Fig. l, wherein the casing is held frictionally against the skin and the carriage grasped for reciprocatory movement.

An improved modification is shown in Figs. 2 to inclusive, said modication embodying an easily demountable casing and a pull-back spring. The said casing is formed of a rectangular shallow base B, the bottom 25 of which is provided with a rectangular aperture 2B; the side walls 27 of the base are apertured at 28, for allowing passage of the cut hair, while one end wallisformed with an inward projection 29.

A cover C is adapted to be removably engaged with the base, to form the casing C, said cover `loeinga'lso of rectangular formation and adapted to fit within the walls of the base. Said cover is comprised ofthe top plate 35 'having depend- Aing'side and end walls, as Vshown in Fig. 3. For

holding the cover in proper position in the base,

solthat top 3U and bottom 25 are maintained in parallel relation, lugs '3l are struck outwardly from'the wallsof the cover to contact the upper edge of the bottom-walls said'lugs limiting penetration-of thecover so that a space is left therebetween and the bottom 25. This space is intended to leave the grid G quite free over the aperturez. The cover is frictionally held by the projection 2Q entering a corresponding de- (Fig. 4.) The blade-supportingv carriage is in this modi- Ycation, formed'of a back-plate 35 the ends of which are bent right-angularly and to which the blade support is secured; this support consists of a cup-like member *36 the fioor of which is VA"flanged slider 50 disposed above and straddling the `cover C, the anges 42 thereof acting as grasping cheeks lfor holding and operating the shaver.

Spacing'washers 45 around the rivets insure easy action by preventing pinching or binding ofthe cover between slider and carriage. As showniin Fig. 4, a return spring 46, tensioned between carriage and one end of the cover, acts lat all times `to urge the carriage in one end-position of rest.

'The third modication shown in transverse section only'in Fig. 6 is very substantially the :same as that just :described: the sole exception is in'the mounting of the cover C which is movablefand to which the blade-supporting carriage back plate 35 is directly riveted at 5I. The cover C, hereinrepresentedby the numeral 52, is frictionally and removably engaged to a slider 53 having'its sidewalls bent at 54 to form slides in which the ange 55 of the baseB are engageable.

'-Thus, the cover C and the attached carriage can be caused to reciprocate, relative to the fixed grid, through the intermediary of the slider 53.

From the foregoing description the construction and operation of the shaver should be evident: a thin, exible, perforated grid is held in vflat position over an apertured base which is statlonary with respect to a set of angular blades, "or knives,secured to a carriage `reciprocated back and forth. Consequently, the grid is supported by the knives only, when skin pressure is applied to the grid, and whatever pileous growth occurs thereon is severed by the shearing action of the knives on the grid.

This characteristic is found in all forms of the invention, although variations therebetween involve the mounting of the knives carriage and the demountability of the cover for gaining access to the grid and the knives, for whetting and cleaning purposes.

The advantages of the shaver according to the invention should be evident: due to the large surface of the plane grid and its exibility, a relatively large area of skin can be covered at once and the contour thereof better contacted.

Furthermore, the loose placement of said grid requires little accuracy in the shaver assembly, the only requirement being that the knives co-ntact the grid.

Due to its relatively large surface said grid `is less subject to wear and, in any case, yit can be reversed and used on both sides, as well as turned end toend so that its normal life, compared to the usual grids used in one position only, is increased threefold.

Again, the knife assembly being easily accessible, it is a simple matter to whet the cutting edges on a at stone and strop the same on a leather: in other words, disassembly being such van easy matter the keeping of the shaver in perfect operating condition can be attended to 'by any one. Finally, Athe/grid can be replaced at littlel cost for reasons obvious froin'the above.

-lt must be understood that various changes as to the shape, size and arrangement of parts can be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention; for example, the shaver shown embodies a plane grid and a linearly re- -ciprocable carriage; but it is clear that the shaver as a whole could be curved somewhat without altering the relation of the parts described and illustrated and still remain within the scope of the subjoined'claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim:

l. In a dry shaver, a casing having an aperture in the bottointhereof, a foraminous grid coveringsaid aperture, a cover slidably mounted on the edges of the casing to reciprocate longitudinally with respect thereto, a carriage member secured inside said cover, and a plurality of inclined knives mounted on the carriage and movable therewith in contact with the inside face of the grid.

2. A dry shaver comprising a substantially quadrangular casing base having an aperture in the bottom thereof, a thin flexible foraminous 'platefreely resting on theedges of said aperture,

a slotted cover removably mounted over the base, a slidableplate mounted over the cover, a carriage secured to the plate by means extending through the slots ofthe cover, and a plurality of inclined knives mounted under the cover and adapted to rest on the inside face of the grid yand-be reciprocated thereover in accordance with `movements imparted-to the slider.

3. A shaver of the dry motorless type, comprising a rectangular frame having an aperture, a flat exible foraminous grid freely resting on the edges of 'the aperture, a slidable plate slidably-connected with the-edges of the frame, a

cover frictionally and removably associated with the slidable plate,a carriage secured inside the cover,'and cutting blades angularly attached to the carriage for reciprocating movement over and in contact with the inside face of the grid.

4. In a shaving device of the character described, a casing having at least one at face formed with an aperture, a normally plane ilexible perforated grid resting on the edges of said aperture, a plurality of cutting edges uniformly distributed over most of the surface of the grid to press thereon, and a reciprocable cover on the casing Vfor moving the cutting edges back and forth.

5. A dry shaver ofthe character described ccnsisting of a flexible normally plane formaminous grid, a casing having an aperture and supporting said grid over the edges of the aperture, a member slidable in a plane parallel to that of the grid, and equally-spaced cutting knives mounted on the slidable member and adapted to reciprocate therewith in contact With the inside face of the grid.

S. As an article of manufacture, a dry shaver comprising a casing having an aperture in the bottom thereof, a flexible normally plane foraminous grid resting across the edges of the aperture, a carriage slidably mounted inside the casing and adapted to reciprocate in a plane parallel to that of the grid, a set of inclined knives secured to the carriage and adapted to press n the inside surface of the grid, means outside ie casing for actuating the inside carriage, and a spring acting parallel to the carriage plane of movement tensioned between said carriage and casing for urging said carriage to a normal rest position.

EMILE GAGNAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: 

